Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-02-23

en- but two had sver coma heef tnem, =.
That was fifteen years ago, TWO me.
had come spying about and had run A~~s
at the sound Of firearms. Their mas1ts
| had never referred to her former NE, ~
/ allowed them to do SO. Often she dld NOV
/ sneak to them for days at q time, q tnen
she kept her room, allowing her door 70 %
| opeued only at dusk, when, for the n1s'
! time in the day she would break her 1as1:
She was q very beautiful woman, OF
large, commanding figure, peachy mPle
| ion. and abundant black hair. In all these
wears they had never seen her shed a YEAR
nor smile, Nor did she ever allow tneh
to speak to her first. She seemed to have
money-gold-but where she kept 1t they
did not know.
Such in brief was the story told me by
these two old servants. But when pressed
them concerning her death and where sne
was buried, they maintained the stoutest
silence. At last, in response to my threats
of the jail, they promised to tell me IN the
morning. As I was quite used up with the
days adventure, I willingly agreed to wait
until that time, and said I would go to bed.
"Dar's no bed here Except her bed" SAID
the old woman in a Mortified voice:
"Young massa wouldn't sleep in dat, would
hei"
eyes; and sleep soundly, too" I said,
lighting my dark lantern and motioning the
old man to follow me into the next ROOM,
where I carried my rifle and haversack.
"Great hebbens! massa, you isn't gw1ne
to sleep dar, is ye? Dat bed is where we
found her dead with her eyes staring at us!'
And the old man shuddered and turned
away his head.
eyes; I shall sleep here, but I shall not
sleep so sound but that I'll be wide awake
enough to use these revolvers if I hear any
body stirring outside or in the house. SO
look out. I sleep tonight with my eyes
OPEN" And bidding him leave me l locked
the door and was soon in bed and asleep.
did not waken until long after daylight,
and when I arose the sun was shining on
my bedroom floor. But the house was still
not a sound Of voice or footsteps could I
hear. Suspicious, I hurriedly dressed my
self, and going out Of the room called
loudly. There was 10 reply. I assembled
the garrett stairs and peered into that apart
ment. It was empty. I went all over the
house, and then all around the clearing,
shouting as I went. Still no answering
voice.
I returned to the house AMI set down to
collect my thoughts. What had become Of
them! My eye fell upon a scrap Of paper
lying upon the kitchen table. I took it up.
It read as follows:
"Massa; we's gone fur good. You will
nebber sec us again. We left middle oh de
night, de hour missus went to de glory.
You'll nebber see her grave.
"D1cK AN BECK,
"der marks"
This solved the mystery Of their disap-
What should I do? I would
scour the woods for traces Of them, and if I
any I would follow them to China
before I would be beaten thus in quest of
With which resolve I seized my Winches- |
Ter and haversack and cautiously examined
Ill the bushes around the clearing. Lucky!
[ found a shred of a woman's dress, and q |
lew rods beyond another, and yet a few !
.ods beyond another. This, then, was the
the fugitives had taken. hur- !
led on, dashing the underground aside and
for further traces Of their flight.
But I found no more. I stood perplexed. |
What should I do now? Hank? What was
hat? It sounded like firearms in the direc-
ion from which I had come. I fastened
and, nearly overcome with fatigue
nd excitement, I reached the clearing only
O see the House of the Black Raven in
Rooted to the spot I stood and gazcd
lpon it until it lay a mass of burning ruins
me.
"Who set it afre?'' asked a strange voice
t my elbow.
I turned with my revolver drawn It was
mountaineer.
"Old Dick and Beck were too smart for
on, - he said, with a grim smile, as lp toyed
nth a huge hunting knife that made me
niver. "They came to my cabin aforc
and said as how they'd burn it
own while you was ahuntin' fur zen in the
'oods. See here, amt you one Of them
paper men in the village wayyonder!
Pears to me rs seen your mug afore."
I replied I was, and briefly told him what
brought mo there.
In another instant he had seized and
me and held me by the throat in
I iron grasp.
$50 you want to know what has becum :
the strange woman, do yer? Wal, she's
lad and buried whar you'll never find the
ace. But she diel a natural death, mind
}, and she's buried decent. So, young
an, you skip. Quick now! get out!'' and 4
covered me with my own rifle.
I did not delay my departure, but having
rsuaded him to let me have my haver-
ok and n Of my revolvers, I babe him
'od day with as much politeness as I could
and fastened homeward. Ibid
It come across either Dick or Beck on my
turn. Indeel I had no desire to meet
EN- just now with such a reduction in my
litary equipment. In fact I was salts
d that I had "a clear beat'' for my p
the ''House of the Black Raven."-